Assam: Majuli – The Place of Return

25. + 26. November 2025

 

 

But before we crossed over to Majuli, we saw something truly special: an old-timer museum! It may sound boring to non-vehicle enthusiasts, but the owner was so passionate and enthusiastic that it was an absolute delight — and definitely worth recommending. He pours all his money and time into this hobby. He roams around looking for old vehicles and all sorts of other things, drags them home, and restores them. And now he has a proper museum and hopes that the entrance fees will bring in a bit of money — because this hobby is quite an expensive one. A lot of things left behind by the British have survived here.

 

 

 

 

 

There was also a hall with motorcycles and bicycles — and the first e-bike!

 

 

 

That was a delightful surprise. The next surprise was the crossing to Majuli — it wasn’t on the small boat I knew, but on a large ferry that also docked at a different place. You could sit on the upper deck, which was quite pleasant. But you didn’t see much from there either: no people along the riverbanks, hardly any birds, no river dolphins or anything like that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then drove to a famous pottery village. But honestly: pottery demonstrations are pretty boring to me. Even though the woman had a very unique technique, using her foot to operate the wheel. Instead, three boys showed up and hung around.

 

 

 

 

Then we drove to the bad accommodation. It was still bad. But they had put in at least a little effort. At the same time, there was also a group from Ikarus there — they didn’t seem very enthusiastic either. But at least the food was good again. The next morning, however, was hilarious. The drinks were served in tiny cups, so you needed refills quickly. And every single time, the cup was carried back to the kitchen, where the drink was freshly boiled and poured again. The waiter must have had a 10,000-step goal. He spent the whole time just walking back and forth with those cups.

 

Then we visited the Auniati Monastery, where I had experienced the festival earlier. The big hall was pretty empty again, everything had been tidied up, and we were able to visit a monk in his cell. These are fairly large, and they all have their own kitchens and little shrines, and many even have a motorcycle. They live on donations and supposedly don’t have much money — but perhaps they do after all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, we visited the mask maker, who really put on a great show for the group. He had also invented masks with mechanical elements and demonstrated them with such wonderful elegance — it was a real delight! It is always a joy to meet people who are passionate about what they do. And some of them are truly talented! Hemchand Goswami received an award on Republic Day 2023 for the Assam float he designed.

 

 

 

At the next monastery, we had some travel luck. A river cruise company had booked a dance performance — and we could simply watch along.

 

 

 

 

 

What made the island different from my previous visit: there were so many more tourists around! It was really noticeable — the Hornbill Festival was approaching, and people had scheduled activities beforehand. And it does make a difference whether you explore the island by bicycle or e-rickshaw — or in soft, cushy cars. The nice thing was that I had at least managed to arrange a traditional lunch at Monjit’s place, with a bit more comfort.

 

 

To round things off, we took a village walk. This village wasn’t as lovely as the ones from the cycle tour, but since the group had no comparison, they were perfectly happy. A few small connections were made, and everyone enjoyed the peaceful village life. Once again, Majuli cast its charm — how wonderful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the next day, a nasty surprise was waiting for us — and its name was the Arunachal PAP…..